DULUTH, Minn. — A Minnesota judge is being remembered for her pioneering work in mental health treatment court and family settlements following her unexpected death while on vacation Monday.
Duluth Circuit Court Judge Sally Tarnowski passed away Monday in Florida. At this time there is no word on what caused her death. Tarnowski was just 63 years old.
Judge Tarnowski served as Chief Judge of the Sixth Judicial District from 2016 to 2020 and was serving as a St. Louis County judge in Duluth at the time of her passing.
“All of us within the Minnesota courts community are devastated by the loss of Judge Tarnowski,” said Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea in a released statement. “Beyond her exemplary service to Minnesota, Judge Tarnowski was a vibrant person whose commitment to justice shined through in everything she did.”
The Minnesota Judicial Branch noted Judge Tarnoski's many accomplishments on the bench, including how she championed mental health treatment court, which offers offenders a pathway out of the justice system by completing a treatment program to stop behaviors that led that offender to court. She was also a supporter of early neutral evaluation in family court, which works towards prompt dispute resolution for custody, parenting time, and financial matters.
“Judge Tarnowski approached her work with tenacity and dedication,” said Sixth District Chief Judge Leslie Beiers. “Her loss will be deeply felt by all of us in the Sixth District, and by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her.”
Sally Tarnowski graduated from William Mitchell School of Law in 1986. She was appointed to the bench in March of 2007 by Governor Tim Pawlenty, then re-elected in 2008, 2014, and 2020.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities in our YouTube playlist:
